Pushcart Players to Present LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND OTHER STORIES, 3/6

Pushcart Players, New Jersey's acclaimed touring theatre for young audiences traverses New Jersey to present Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories on Thursday, March 6, 2014. Performances are at McGuire Air Force Base Library (JBMDL) in Burlington NJ (10:00 am) and at Giggles Children's Theater at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson NJ (6:00 pm). New Jersey Theatre Alliance's Stages Festival, a month-long celebration of the Garden State's professional theatre, sponsors the shows.

An enchanting collection of classic tales, Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories explores the "once upon a time" world of 'The Princess and the Pea,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' 'All's Well That Ends Well,' and the title piece, 'Little Red Riding Hood.'

"These time-honored fables provide a perfect introduction to live theatre for young viewers," said Ruth Fost, Pushcart's co-founder, executive artistic director and playwright / lyricist for the production. "We've dressed the stories with a twinkle, a grin and a contemporary spin!"

The fast-paced production, while infused with lively musical numbers and brimming with humor, offers a gentle opportunity to discuss values, ethics and moral considerations in a relevant and accessible platform.

The cast of Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories includes Oscar Castillo, Jaclyn Ingoglia, JD Lynch and Phebe Taylor. Castillo is a New York native, and a member of Pushcart Players for eleven years. A graduate of Kean University with a BFA in theatre, Oscar co-founded The Theatre Project and performs frequently throughout NYC with Peculiar Works Productions. Jaclyn Ingoglia is a 2009 NJ OBIE Award-winner as Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of "Mrs. Lovett" in 'Sweeney Todd' at NJPAC. Ingoglia made her Off-Broadway debut as a swing in the play, 'My Big Gay Italian Funeral.' JD Lynch is a graduate of DeSales University and has performed in eight Pushcart shows and with other companies throughout the country. Phebe Taylor is in the troupe, Heartland Actors' Repertory Theatre and is a frequent performer at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis.

Stephanie Carr directs the production. Since joining Pushcart Players in 1998 Carr has been an actor (appearing in more than 2000 mainstage performances), a director, an administrator, and currently serves as Managing Director. A professional church cantor, Carr has performed throughout New Jersey at the Bickford Theatre, 12 Miles West Theatre and the Women's Theatre Company.

Sandi Zimmermann musically composed Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories. Incidental music and orchestrations are by Larry Hochman, who won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his co-orchestration of "The Book of Mormon." His orchestrations include Broadway's "Monty Python's Spamalot," "The Addams Family" and "Jane Eyre."

Pushcart Players celebrates its 40th anniversary season of presenting productions filled with fun, facts, magic and wonder. The company has traveled over 2 million miles to serve more than 8 million children and their families nationally and abroad. All performances come with innovative scenery, complete lighting and state of the art sound systems, making it adaptable to any location. Study guides and other supplemental materials support the educational benefits of the theatre piece.

McGuire AFB Library is located at 2603 Tuskegee Airmen Avenue in Burlington NJ 08641. The performance on JBMDL will be in Tommy B's Community Activity Center. This performance is not open to the general public but rather to military personnel and their families; Military personnel should please call JBMDL Librar-e and Resource Commons to secure tickets. Giggles Children's Theater at St. Joseph's Hospital is located at 703 Main Street, Paterson NJ 07503. Tickets in Paterson are free and should be reserved by calling 973.754.4960. For information about NJ Theatre Alliance's Stages Festival, visit www.stagesfestival.org.

For further information on this or any of Pushcart's programs and services, contact Pushcart Players at 973.857.1115 or visit the website at www.pushcartplayers.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert S. Pytel

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